Lot 145

Campbell, Colen.

Estimate

3,000 - 4,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Vitruvius Britannicus, or the British Architect, containing the Plans, Elevations, and Sections of the Regular Buildings, both Publick and Private, in Great Britain. [London, 1731?]-1731

3 volumes (I-III, of 5), folio (460 x 290mm.), 2 engraved titles (volumes I-II), volume III title printed in red and black, 2 engraved dedications (volumes I and III), parallel letterpress in English and French (including plate list) in each volume, 293 numbered engraved plans and elevations on 230 (of 231) sheets, comprising: volume I: 96 plates (numbered 3-100) on 83 (of 84) sheets, volume II: 99 plates on 74 sheets (numbered 2-100), volume III: 98 plates on 73 sheets (numbered 3-100), many double-page, some folding, uniformly bound in contemporary diced calf gilt, spines in compartments gilt, vol.1 lacking one double-page plate (n.24-25), without additional plate 101-102 in vol.3, some occasional light spotting, upper corner of 3 plates in vol.3 torn (not affecting image), joints splitting at ends, slightly rubbed

Provenance

G. E[yre]

Literature

cf. Fowler 76 (first editions); Harris 102; RIBA 3544 state H, volumes I-II, cf. 3546 (1725 edition), volume III

Catalogue Note

a fine set. The set present here comprises the third edition of volumes I-II and the second edition of volume III, with all volumes containing parallel English and French letterpress for the first time. It would appear that as later volumes were published, the earlier ones were re-issued from the original plates, with the imprints of the original title pages being changed or completely erased. The engraved titles in volumes I and II, present here, are in RIBA cat. state H (the imprint has been erased, the designations read 'Vol.II' and 'Tome II', the first 'I' in the former has been carelessly added and apparently erased and re-addded to make it more vertical and a scratch is evident beneath the 's' of 'Architects' in line 12). When volume III was reprinted in 1731, the text on the final leaf was reset and includes a brief description of plate 101 'Umberslade', however the RIBA catalague states "no copies of the 1731 edition have been traced with plate 101-102, and it must be assumed that the publishers of this edition made an error in their text and did not possess the copper for this plate."